George Watkins: Hall of Fame to be a Salinas Valley reality

Hal Davis was called the "California Comet" when he tied Jesse Owens' world record for the 100 meter dash in 1941 at 10.2 seconds. At the time he was a student at Salinas Junior College, later named Hartnell College. That same year he set the world record in the 200 meters at 20.2.

Davis, born in Salinas in 1921, was known as the fastest human who never won an Olympic medal. Unfortunately, his record-breaking career spanned the years of World War II in the early 1940s when there were no Olympic Games.

The Summer Olympics were restored in 1948, but two years earlier Davis - the national collegiate champion in the 100- and 200-yard sprints in 1942 and 1943 - sustained a serious hamstring injury and never regained the form that made him a world-class sprinter.

The only reminder of Davis is one of his gold colored track shoes in the foyer at Hartnell College in the trophy cabinet near the basketball court.

However, Davis, who died in August of 2007, will be recognized and immortalized - as well as several other Salinas-area athletes, coaches, and others who have made significant contributions or achieved greatness in their sport - by being the first class inducted into the newly created Salinas Valley Sports Hall of Fame in August.

Such a project has been in the talking stages for years and is long overdue. But when you join forces with Public Recreation Unlimited - a Salinas non-profit organization that raises funds for recreational purposes - and the Rodeo Association things have a way of getting done. And trust me, this is going to a first-rate project.

The inductees will have their contributions and achievements engraved on individual bronze plaques which will be displayed as a permanent part of the new football stadium (Rabobank Stadium) currently under construction next to the Salinas Sports Complex.

The first group to be inducted will include 22 names, eight of whom are deceased. The entire class will be revealed in a front-page article in The Salinas Californian in our weekend edition of March 16.

There will probably be just as many deserving names not on the list as there are on the list. It's a tough call when you're choosing from an area that stretches from King City to North County that is so deep and rich in sports tradition.

But worry not. We plan to make the induction ceremony an annual affair, and the good news is those not in the first induction class probably won't have to wait long to join the team.

It shouldn't be a big surprise that more than a third of our 2013 Hall of Fame group have a strong connection to Hartnell College.

After all, for years Hartnell was the overwhelming school of choice for nearly ever superstar athlete in the Salinas Valley, and one big reason was its remarkable list of incredible coaches.

Some of these Hall of Fame names will be familiar. Others will be something of a mystery. But all have a compelling background.

It's my hope that this Hall of Fame will be more than just a tribute to the excellence of athletics, but also be full of surprises (such as Hal Davis) and provide a revealing look at the proud history of Salinas Valley that you've probably never seen before.

? George Watkins is a sports writer for The Salinas Californian. He can be reached at gwatkins@thecalifornian.com or 754-4264. He can be followed on Twitter at watkins_salnews.

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George Watkins: Hall of Fame to be a Salinas Valley reality

Hal Davis was called the 'California Comet' when he tied Jesse Owens' world record for the 100 meter dash in 1941 at 10.2 seconds. At the time he was a student at Salinas Junior College, later named